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Having your Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree could provide you with expanded career opportunities and other benefits. While you might not be required to have this type of degree to work as a registered nurse (RN), earning one could have a positive impact on your career. What can you do with a BSN degree? Several BSN jobs are available to those who successfully complete this degree program. Keep the following in mind when you are considering going to school for a BSN.

Why Earn a BSN?

Earning a BSN is an important step in advancing your nursing career. When you have this degree, you can explore new types of career paths and job opportunities. You might also have an easier time finding a job as an RN with a BSN compared to those who do not have this degree. With a BSN, you might improve your chance of earning a higher salary and having more job opportunities. Earning your BSN can also prepare you for graduate school if you plan on earning an advanced degree.

What Jobs Can You Do With a BSN?

When you have a BSN, there are several kinds of jobs you can do. The job that suits you best will depend on your career interests, long-term goals, and education. Some of the jobs you can find with a BSN degree include:

1. Nurse Educator

Being able to share your nursing knowledge with students can provide a fulfilling career if you think you might enjoy teaching. Some of the duties nurse educators have include evaluating educational programs, designing curriculum, and developing programs of study. The average salary for nurse educators is $84,060 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

2. Nurse Manager

Nurse managers supervise or oversee nursing staff in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. These managers are expected to create a safe work environment for nursing staff and handle other responsibilities, such as scheduling staff, recruiting new staff members, and taking care of budgeting for their department. They might also handle case management, discharge planning, and records management. Nurse managers have an average salary of $104,280 per year and a strong job outlook of 32 percent through 2030, according to the BLS.

3. Clinical Research Nurse

When you want a healthcare industry career in a research setting, consider a clinical research nurse job. These BSN jobs for RNs focus on caring for participants in research studies and assisting with developing research on different medical procedures, medications, and vaccinations. To become a clinical research nurse, you will need to earn an advanced degree, such as a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN).

4. Critical Care Nurse

Critical care nurses are RNs who care for patients experiencing emergency medical conditions that require immediate care. In many cases, these patients have life-threatening injuries or illnesses. Critical care nurses have several duties to perform on the job, including monitoring vital signs, coordinating patient care, administering treatment, and providing families with information on patient care plans. The BLS does not provide specific salary information for critical care nurses, but the average RN salary is $75,330 per year.

5. Quality Assurance Nurse

Quality assurance nurses are responsible for evaluating nursing practices in their department or organization and coming up with ways to improve quality of care. These RNs analyze data, assess patient needs and healthcare provider needs, and handle other tasks as needed, such as acute patient care. They work with doctors and other healthcare professionals to create guidelines aimed at improving patient care. Specific salary information for quality assurance nurses is not available from BLS, but RNs with a BSN typically have a higher chance of earning more than the average salary of $75,330 per year.

6. Informatics Nurse

If you are interested in working with data as a nurse, informatics nurse jobs might be the right fit for you. These RNs use data and technology to help improve the quality of patient care at hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Their responsibilities often include analyzing data, designing quality improvement practices, and assessing technology needs for medical facilities. They might also come up with policies covering how and when new technology should be used. Informatics nurses fall under the BLS RN category with a median salary of $75,330 each year.

7. Pharmaceutical Nurse

Pharmaceutical nurses can work in research settings as clinical research nurses or act as nurse educators who provide patients with safety information on medications, which can help reduce the risk of medication errors. Whether working in research or as educators, these RNs have a career that focuses on pharmaceuticals rather than other aspects of nursing. Average salaries for pharmaceutical nurses are often similar to general RN salaries, although having specialized training might increase their earning potential.

8. Travel Nurse

Travel nurses are RNs who fill in for other nurses at hospitals and other medical facilities on a short-term basis. These nurses can work in multiple places throughout the course of their careers, depending on where they are needed. When they are on the job, they perform a wide range of duties, such as examining patients, collaborating with physicians and other healthcare professionals to improve patient care, and performing research. While the average salary for an RN overall is $75,330 a year, according to the BLS, travel nurses might earn higher salaries due to the nature of their job.

If you are an RN who is looking to take the steps that could possibly advance your career with a BSN program, please contact American Sentinel College of Nursing and Health Science at Post University. We offer a RN to BSN degree program that allows you to earn your degree at an accelerated pace. Earning this degree can help you work toward your career goals.

 

Thank you for reading! The views and information provided in this post do not reflect Post University programs and/or outcomes directly. If you are interested in learning more about our programs, you can find a complete list of our programs on our website or reach out directly!

Please note jobs, career outcomes, and/or salaries highlighted in this blog do not reflect jobs, career outcomes, and/or salaries expected from any Post program. To learn more about Post’s program and their outcomes, please fill out a form to speak with an admissions representative.